


On The Bright Side

by ca3sar



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Daddy Luke, emo ben solo, not like the sex kind the father kind ya nasty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2016-10-18
Packaged: 2018-08-13 18:36:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7981921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ca3sar/pseuds/ca3sar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Born and raised in Arizona, Rey's life takes a sharp turn into the unfamiliar when she and her father move to the east coast.  After the seemingly endless drought and a series of unfortunate circumstances forces them to leave their farm, the only choice they have besides hopeless poverty is to move in with their family in New Jersey, where among other things, lingers an undiscussed and volatile tension.</p><p>A slice of life teen drama starring Rey Skywalker and Ben Solo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> appropriate characters and tags will be added as the story progresses, as i only have a very vague idea of where this will go. because i am a shit writer.
> 
> the theme song for this story is "w dobrą stronę" by dawid posiadło.

        Rey shifted her legs in the passenger seat of the scratched up ‘97 Tempo, careful not to disturb the birdcage in her lap.  She followed her father’s hand as it reached from the steering wheel to the radio dial, looking for a proper signal.  He gave up after a few seconds, and tutted.

        “That’s the problem with travelling cross-country,” he said, “nothing but static most of the time.  At least it’s better than Missouri.  Remember that, Rey? Nothing but Alex Jones and church sermons out there.”

        Rey smiled, and reached her arm around Beebee’s cage to the glove compartment, shuffling through the papers and the junk until she pulled out a tape.  She pulled it out of its cover and pressed it into the proper slot in the car’s stereo.

        “Is that Bowie?” Luke asks, recognising the first few notes of a song.  “I love Bowie! God, it’s been forever since I’ve heard this song!” Rey giggled as he started tapping on the steering wheel to the rhythm.

        “Why don’t you sing along, Dad?”

        “Yeah, so you can make fun of me?”

        Rey chuckled again and turned to gaze out the window.  She appreciated what her aunt and uncle were doing for them, she really did.  After the dry Arizona heat, combined with the drought, had wiped away any and all profit from their farm, her father was so relieved and thankful to tears when Aunt Leia had called him and made the offer.  Rey knew it was for the best, but it still stung.  It had stung to see her father so distraught.  It had stung to say goodbye to her friends, the few that she had.  It had stung to have to pick up her entire life and leave behind everything she knew.  As she watched the Pennsylvania greenery whiz past them, the young Skywalker realised just how far from home she was.  Her throat tightened, and her stomach sank.  She didn’t even know there could be so much green.

        “Hey,” the music lowered and Rey turned, seeing her father shoot her a sympathetic glance, “you alright there, ace?”

        “No, yeah, I just…” if she could force her tears back any harder, the capillaries in her eyes would most likely pop.  “I’m just gonna miss home is all.” Luke sighed and reached over to his daughter, tucking a lock of brown hair behind her ear.

        “I know, Rey.  I know.  And I will too, but… We’re going to have a new home now.  I mean, New Jersey isn’t really as bad as TV makes it seem.  You’ll experience new things, meet new people.  Who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself a boyfriend.  Or a girlfriend!” Rey snorted and shook her head.  “What? I’m a modern dad! I’m down with whatever you kids are into, dawg!” Rey burst into a fit of laughter.

        “Oh my god, Dad, please! Don’t ever say those words again!”  Luke laughed along with her, waiting for her to catch her breath before he continued.

        “Besides, it doesn’t matter where you live as long as you’re with family.  And now we’ll be with even more family.  And Ciobacca.”

        “Thats, um, Uncle Han’s weird Italian friend right?”

        “Sammarinian but yes.  And he’s not weird, he just has his quirks.  Which reminds me, don’t talk to him during May.  He’ll just lecture you about other countries ‘stealing’ their Eurovision win.”

        “Wasn’t his accent, like, super thick? I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to understand him anyway.”

        “His accent is not that thick, Rey.”

        “Easy for you to say, you’ve known him since the sixties.”

        “ _ Eish! _ Sixties?! Just how old do you think I am?!”

        “I dunno, eighty? Eighty-five?”

        “Hey, you better check yourself before you wreck yourself.”

        “Daaaad, nooooooo!”  Luke chuckled and decelerated into the parking lot of a diner.

        “Come on, we’re almost at the state border and I want you to get a good mouthful of pie before we get there.”  He parked the trusty old car and took the birdcage out of Rey’s lap.

        When she stepped out, Rey took the opportunity to stretch and take in the fresh air.  She had seen pictures like this online, of a cozy little diner at the side of a highway, with nothing but forest surrounding it for miles.  But seeing it for herself was something else.

        “Oh, that’s unfortunate.” Luke said, stepping out from the driver’s side.

        “What is?” Rey asked, fixing her ponytail.  Luke pointed to a spot a few feet away from him.

        “Dead raccoon.”  Rey made a face.  She’s had her fair share of run-ins with roadkill and other animal carcasses, but they never became any less unpleasant. “Poor thing…” Rey shrugged.

        “Well I don’t know about you but I’m still hungry.” she put her hands on her hips and nodded towards the diner.  Luke smiled and shook his head.

        “Alright then, come on.”

        Entering the little place, Rey was hit with a wall of aroma.  She could smell burgers, pancakes, coffee and pie, along with an oddly pleasant smell she could only describe as ‘grandmother’.

        “Just the two of you?” asked a waitress sporting a pale blue uniform.  Luke answered to the affirmative, and the blonde server led them to an empty booth.  Rey looked at the various photos lining the off-white walls, noticing that most of them were of nature scenes, and some were of B-list celebrities with whom she assumed are the owners.  “There you are,” the waitress gestured towards a booth, and Rey slid in opposite her father. “Can I start you folks off with some drinks?”

        “What are your milkshake options?” Luke asked, like a polite six-year-old.  Rey snorted, to which he replied, “What, is there an age limit on milkshakes now?”

        “Well we have a great strawberry shake, berries picked fresh this morning.”

        “That sounds lovely, thank you.”

        “I’ll just have a water.” Rey said when the waitress turned to her.

        “Alright, I’ll have that right out for you two.”  She pulled two menus out of the big pocket at the front of her apron, handing them to Luke and Rey, before walking back to the kitchen.

        “Oh wow, Rey, look at this,” Luke pointed to a picture of a giant burger loaded with almost countless toppings,  “they call it the Paul Bunyan.”  They looked at their menus in silence for a minute.  When the girl came back over with their drinks, they placed their orders, and played the waiting game.  “That’s one thing I won’t miss about Arizona.” He said, eyeing the sweating glass of ice water that Rey sipped. “The lack of water.  I tell you what, the second we get to Leia’s place I am taking a thirty minute shower.”

        “Do you think Aunt Leia made baclava? I remember she always made baclava whenever we came to visit.”

        “Of course she did, this is Leia we’re talking about.  She married Han Solo, so she definitely knows a thing or two about food being the way to a person’s heart.  Oh, hey! You haven’t seen your cousin Ben in a while, that’s exciting!”

        “Eh…”

        “What do you mean ‘eh’?”

        “I just…” She knit her eyebrows together while she looked for the right words. “I remember he was kind of weird.”

        “That was years ago, I’m sure he’s grown out of it by now.  Besides, if my apparently eighty-five year old memory serves me right, you’ve been through some phases too.  Remember, um, what was it called?”

        “Dad please don’t…”

        “Otaku? It was ‘kawaii’ I think you called it.”

        “Dad, you’re gonna make me cry.”

        “Okay, okay, I won’t bring it up again.  As long as you don’t bring up Ben’s phases.”

        “I won’t.”  However, it was tempting not to, imagining her cousin wearing those bright pink jeans and fake lip piercings.  The waitress came back over with a tray.

        “Veggie burger and curly fries,” she placed one heaping plate in front of Luke, “reuben, extra sauerkraut, and shoofly pie.” and the two other in front of Rey.  “Enjoy your meal.”  They thanked her before she walked away, and Rey dug into her sandwich.  Luke scrunched up his nose as a dollop of sauerkraut fell out the side.

        “What?” She asked through a mouthful.

        “I don’t understand how any human being with functioning tastebuds can eat sauerkraut.”

        “That’s rich coming from the guy who eats tofu.”

        “Ha ha, close your mouth when you eat, you beast”  Rey responded by munching even more obnoxiously.  She loved this, the dynamic her and her father had.  Although she would miss it being just the two of them, she did miss her extended family.  It was a big change, but Rey was sure she would be prepared.

        Or, at least, so she hoped.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i could give you an excuse as to why i havent updated in so long  
> but i dont have one  
> im just a shitty person

        Rey pulled her eyes open, her tear ducts feeling dry and crusty.  Her cheek and her shoulder felt sore from where her seatbelt was pressed between them, and the joints in her legs cracked when she moved them.

        “Morning, sleeping beauty, I was just about to shake you.” Luke said, his body a blurry shape as Rey’s eyes began to regain their moisture.  Her fingers found her eyes and she rubbed away the last remnants of sleep.

        “Where are we?” She slurred, her voice hoarse.  She cleared her throat before continuing, “Are we in Jersey yet?

        “Yep, been here a while.  We’re only a few minutes away.  Gosh I can’t remember the last time I was this excited.”  Rey laughed when her dad let out a squeal worthy of a twelve year old girl at a boy band concert.

        “Oh, wait, where’s Beebee?” She was answered by a chirp from the backseat, whirling around to find that the blanket that covered the bird’s cage had fallen off.

        “Yeah you fell asleep while I was telling you a story from my childhood - thanks a lot by the way, you could just tell me when I’m boring - so I pulled over and managed to move some stuff around and shove him back there.”

        “Nice job.” Rey complemented.  The already crowded car was only so big, so it was no easy feat.

        “Thanks.  It was sheer willpower.  And maybe a little magic.”

        Rey rolled down the window on the passenger’s side, taking a deep whiff of fresh air.  It felt a little heavier than what she was used to, and a tad more humid, but it was better than the filtered air pumping through the air conditioning.  She stretched out her sunkissed neck to get a better look at the sign they were about to pass.  At the edge of the road, surrounded by a patch of grass and flowers, a wooden sign welcomed them to the borough of Takodana.

        “When was the last time we came  _ here _ , huh?  Four years? Five?” Luke asked, his smile growing slowly with every second.

        “No idea…”

        “Switch off the GPS, I remember which way to go.”

        “You sure, Dad?” Her finger hovered above the small unit’s power button, waiting for confirmation.

        “Absolutely.  It’s like a favourite song you haven’t heard in a decade.  For some reason, you remember all of the words.” She rolled her eyes playfully at the familiar pseudo-wisdom, pressing the button before reclining back in her seat.

        They passed a gas station, then a modest shopping centre, a bowling alley.   A real idyllic, all-American town _ ,  _ Rey thought.  Much nicer than the hot rural mess she grew up in.  They actually had things to do here other than poking snakes with sticks.

        “So what do you think the secret is?” Rey asked, watching the quaint houses whiz by.  Most of them looked to have been built during the twenties or so, from the architectural styles.  “Town run by the mafia? Local high school has a sex cult?”

        “What are you talking about?” Her father shot her a confused look.

        “This town is so cute and perfect.  Almost too much so.  It’s got to have some deep, dark secret.”  She answered, as if it was common knowledge.

        “I knew it was a bad idea to get Netflix…”  Rey was about to respond, but Luke cut her off before she got a chance. “Hey, remember this?”

        Rey looked to where he pointed, a park with a colourful little playground.  She thought for a moment, and shrugged.

        “Really? You and Ben used to play here when the two of you were wee little tots.  I think I still have pictures of you guys trying to stuff Arty the First into a baby swing.”

        “That I think I remember.  Speaking of dogs, how’s Arty Two and Piyo?”

        “Happy and healthy.  Piyo’s been acting himself again since they got him on the insulin.  I hope they don’t ask us to give him his medicine, though, you know how I am about needles.”

        They spent some more time reminiscing about about ‘the good ole days’, and Rey slowly starts to recognise the houses they pass.  As they came closer to the corner of the block, she recognised the big oak tree, and was surprised to find the tire swing still hanging from the branches.  Luke hit the signal, and turned left into the driveway, where Han was leaning on the opened bonnet of a car and wiping black grease from his hands on a rag.  He looked up at the sound of their car pulling up and beams at them.  Luke parked and stepped out, pulling his brother-in-law into a bear hug before the older man even got a chance to put his rag away.

        “Hey, Santa, have you seen my buddy Luke?” Han joked as he pulled away, tugging lightly at the impressive beard Luke’s been growing for the past eight months.  He looked over to Rey walking around to them from the other side of the car, and opened his arms.  “And there’s my favourite niece!  C’mere kiddo!”

        “Hi, Uncle Han!” She let him pull her in, and she squeezed her arms around his waist until he grunted.

        “Okay, easy there, soldier, I’m not as spry as I used to be.”  They all turn their heads to the sound of barking coming from the front door, and before they knew it, Luke and Rey were being ambushed by a yorkie and a golden retriever.  Han yelled at the dogs to sit down, but gave up when Piyo ignored him in favour of licking Rey’s face.

        “Looks like they remember you.”  Leia spoke up, walking across the lawn to meet them.

        “Sis!” Luke sprinted over to her, picking her up and spinning around her around as he hugged her, only stopping when she laugheds out, ‘Down, boy!’

        “I swear,” she said, catching her breath, and adjusting her greying hair over her shoulders, “you’re more excitable than Artwo.”  The yorkshire in question was whining and pawing up Rey’s leg until she picked him up.  “Your rooms are all ready, you just need to get your things, and dinner’s almost ready.  Han, help them with their luggage…” she trailed off when her eyes caught sight of the overstuffed Ford, and corrected herself. “Help them with  _ some _ of their luggage.  It looks like we’ve got a few hours of work to put in.”  Leia began to make her way back towards the front door, and whistled for the dogs to follow.

        Rey opened up the passenger seat to get her computer bag off the floor there and slung it over one shoulder, then opened the back door to pull out Beebee.  Her uncle and her dad took out the four suitcases with all of their clothes from the other side.  Leading them to the front door of the sprawling tudor, Han turned his head to look at them.

        “I’d like to apologise for Ben, by the way.”  He said.

        “Why?” Luke asked.  “What happened?”

        “Puberty.” He replied simply.

        Luke and Rey looked at each other questioningly and Rey shrugged.

        When they stepped through the door, they could hear loud folk metal music coming from somewhere upstairs.

        “Leia’s Leia,” Han said as they made their way upstairs, “so she said she picked out your rooms ‘according to your needs’, as she put it.  We’ve completely renovated the upstairs last year, so...”  He brought Rey’s luggage over to the door closest to the upstairs landing, and opened the door for her.  “This one’s bigger so you can do your schoolwork and braid your hair, whatever it is you teenage girls do.” He then pointed across the open foyer to the other end of the L-shaped balcony hallway.  “Luke, your room’s on the other end there.  It has a lot of windows so you can charge your crystals or whatever.  It’s also facing east, she said that was important for some reason.”

        “It’s the direction that aligns best with my star sign.” Luke explained.

        “Sure.  Bathroom’s over there, by the way.” He pointed to another door next to Luke’s room, and made his way to the door closest to Rey’s as Luke shuffled past him to put away his luggage.  Han’s fist pounded against the door, trying to be louder than the the music coming from within.  “Hey, moth boy,” He said, raising his voice, “Turn that off and come down for dinner.” He sighed when he got no response.  “I’m gonna go set the table.” He said to Rey and Luke, “Come down in a few.”  He got a nod and a ‘Sure thing.” in return.

        Rey turned to her room, already furnished with a bed, a desk, a bookshelf, a wardrobe, and other surfaces, all a brown colour slightly darker than the hardwood floor.  It was a stark and pleasant contrast against the pale blue walls.  She set Beebee’s cage on a small table by the window, and opened one of her suitcases to give him some water and feed.  She wiped her hands on the back of her jeans, and made her way downstairs, where her father, aunt, and uncle were already waiting for her in the kitchen.

        “Rey,” Luke called when she walked through the archway, “you smell that? I told you she made it!” Rey laughed and nodded as a wall of sweet smelling air assaulted her.

        “ _ Ag! _ I’m not really that predictable, am I?”  Leia asked, scooping the last of the mashed potatoes into a serving bowl.

        “ _ Ja, maar _ in a good way!”  Luke flashed a smile and pulled out a chair for Rey.

        “That looks really good, Aunt Leia.” Rey eyed the glistening chicken in the centre of the table as she sat down next to her father.  

        “Why thank you Rey,” Leia replied, setting the potatoes down between the steamed vegetables and the pitcher of sweet tea, “it’s nice to be appreciated every now and then.” She gave Han a playful side-eye before sitting down herself.

        “Hey, I do appreciate you, baby!” the man defended himself, placing a hand over his heart.  “I just thought we were close enough that I didn’t even have to say it!”  The four of them shared a laugh until Artwo interrupted with a loud bark.  “Arty, no, this is people food.  Puppy food is over there.” He pointed to the other side of the kitchen, only to get a whimper in reply.

        “Where’s Piyo?” Rey asked.

        “Old fella already ate.” Han replied. “So I’m guessing he’s passed out somewhere he’s not allowed, like on my bed.” He reached over, pouring himself a glass of tea, before continuing his thought.  “Better question, where’s your cousin?”

        “Did you ask him to come down?” Leia offered.

        “Yeah, but I guess he’s still mad about the military school comment ‘cause he completely ignored me.  At least he turned that damn noise down.”  Leia huffed into her folded hands before standing up.

        “I’ll go check on him.  You two help yourselves to some tea.  Rey, don’t let your father feed Artwo.”  Luke stuck his tongue out at her when she turned around.

        “What military school comment?” Rey asked, pouring a glass for her dad before herself.

        “Eh, we were watching some foreign movie on the couch.” Han began. “The three of us, since Ben was having a good day.  The main kid goes to a military school, and I said, ‘Hey, maybe a military school could straighten Ben out.’  But whaddaya know, the princess starts freaking out and screaming at me.  ‘Why are you like this?! What the hell’s your problem?!’  Standard Ben Solo tantrum.”  He shrugs, and takes a sip of tea.  “That was two weeks ago.  I tell ya, that kid sure can hold a grudge.”

        They all instinctively looked toward the kitchen entrance as they hear a muffled scream of  _ “Oh my god, FINE!” _ from upstairs.  Then, soft footsteps down the staircase, followed by a slamming door and heavier ones right behind them.

        “Don’t look him in the eye,” he warns, “it’ll turn you to stone.”

        “Okay, help yourselves to the sides.” Leia said upon return, grabbing a carving knife to cut the chicken.  She was followed by a tall, menacing black figure that Rey barely recognised as her cousin.  “Ben, do you want the breast or…”

        “I only like the dark meat.” The older boy replied, sitting down.

        “Of course you do.” Han murmured into his glass.

        “What is THAT supposed to mean?!” Ben snapped.

        “Han, Ben, we have company.” Leia reminded, her face suddenly taut.  She cut off a wing for her son.

        “How’s it going, kiddo?” Luke asked. “Think you can give Uncle Luke a hug la-”

        “No.”

        “Alright, some other time then.”

        “Christ, kid, what are you wearing?” Han asked as Leia continued to serve.  He was referring to the black t-shirt revealed by his open cardigan, with the words  _ BAD SEED _ written above a stylised illustration of a foetus.

        “It’s Nick Cave, Dad.”  Ben practically spat venom with that last word.

        “‘Bad Seed’ is right.  Did your Nazi friend give you that one?”

        “For the last time, Hux isn’t a Nazi.  And since when do you even care about who I’m friends with?”

        “Rey?” Leia brought the attention back to the chicken.

        “Breast is fine, thank you.” she responded

        “So how was your trip?”

        “Long and boring.” Luke answered, piling vegetables onto his plate.  “Most exciting part was when we broke down in the middle of nowhere in Indiana.  Thank the maker for the brain on this one.” He pointed at Rey with his fork, who started blushing.

        “What do you mean?” Han asked after swallowing a mouthful of carrots.  “Rey, you know how to fix cars?”

        “Yeah, I guess.” she replied humbly.  “It wasn’t even that big a deal.”

        “The car was smoking.” Luke pointed out.

        “It was just a clogged carburetor.  I had some supplies in the boot, we were back on the road in no time.”

        “That’s great.” Han remarked.  “You know, I’ve been fixing up the ol’ Millennium Falcon out there, you should give me a hand with it some time.”

        “Sure, sounds like fun!”

        “Oh, you know who I just remembered?” Luke mentioned, nudging her arm.

        “Who?”

        “That Polish tourist at the Olive Garden in Ohio who thought you were Natalie Portman.”

        “Oh my gosh!” Rey laughed for a moment until she had to wipe away her tears. 

        “She gave the lady her autograph!” Luke choked out between giggles.

        “I felt so bad! I didn’t want to break her heart.”

        “You know something?” Han said once the laughter died down.  “I can see it.”

        “You probably get it from your grandmother.”  Leia pointed out.

        “Grandma Padme?” Rey asked.

        “Oh, yes.  I should show you some old photos later from when she was younger.  Spitting image.”

        “Mum had the spirit of an actress, too.” Luke spoke up, smiling fondly. “Gosh, that woman loved Halloween! Every year, she would have some crazy new costume.  All the kids would come to the house just to see what she came up with.  Honestly, the candy was just a plus.”

        “Amen.” Leia said, and the twins clinked their glasses.

        “What have you been doing Ben?” Rey asked, changing the subject.  She never was very comfortable talking about dead people.  “It’s been like five years since I’ve seen you.”

        “Um.” Ben blinked a few times in thought, seemingly surprised that someone acknowledged him. “Nothing.”

        “Oh come on, I doubt that you’ve just been going to school and coming back home for five years straight.”

        “Uh… well I’ve been into music I guess.”  the dark haired boy was clearly uncomfortable with the sudden attention.

        “Do you play anything?”

        “I can play the guitar a little.”

        “Since when do you play guitar?” Han asked skeptically.

        “Since Phasma’s been teaching me, okay?” Ben snapped back immediately, as if he was already prepared for confrontation.  “Get off my back.”

        “I think it’s cool you can play an instrument.” she said, trying to use compliments to defuse the sudden tension.  “I’m practically tone deaf.  Maybe we could go to a concert or something sometime before the summer ends.”

        “I don’t like concerts.” he replied flatly.  “Too crowded.”

        “Oh.” She sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, unable to think of anywhere to go from there, before the gaps were filled in as a conversation began to bloom among the adults in the room. 

        She didn’t remember her cousin being this awkward.  The last time she saw him, he was still a bit weird and gawky, but he wasn’t so quietly volatile.  She didn't know if this change was sudden or gradual, but either way it worried her.

        The conversation continued at the table, with Rey pitching in and laughing her fair share.  There was so much to catch up on, that there wasn’t a single moment of dead air, although there were a few stories interrupted halfway and never finished.  Ben finished his minimal plate quickly, and without a word.  Rey was the only one who noticed that he got up when he did.  The others at the table only noticed when they heard the clatter of his dishes being dropped into the sink.

        “Ben, don’t you want to stay for dessert?” Leia called out as he walked out of room, only to be ignored as a reply. “Oh.”

        “Is everything alright with Ben?” Luke asked, genuinely concerned.

        “He’s fine.” Han replied before Leia got a chance to.  “Just being a little bitch.”

        “Han!” Leia scolded, instinctively hitting him across the chest with the back of her hand.

        “Well it’s true!”

        “He’s your son.  And you know that I don’t like that kind of language at the table!”

        “I’m sorry.  But all I’m saying is that he’s too sensitive.  He has a thin skin.  I mean for Christ’s sake, he’s graduating this year and it’s about time he man up!” Leia rubbed her temples.

        “Okay, Han, I hear and acknowledge your concerns but I just want to have a nice family dinner right now.”  Han quietly rolled his eyes, and Leia was quick to change the subject.

        But Rey’s heart wasn’t in the replies she gave to questions and anecdotes.  She felt tired, physically and mentally.  It was as if Ben took all of her energy with him when he left.  Rey tried to subtly eat a little faster.  She managed to finish her meal a whole seven minutes after her cousin had left the room.  She wiped her mouth and stacked her glass and utensils onto her now empty plate.

        “That was really delicious, Aunt Leia.” she said politely as she began to push her chair out with her feet.  “I’d love to stay for baklava, but I can barely keep my eyes open.” She emphasised this statement with a staged yawn.

        “Alright, sweetie, I’ll leave some in the fridge for you.” Leia offered.  “We’ll leave your boxes outside your room later.” Rey thanked her and brought her plate to the sink.

        She made her way through the living room and the foyer, then up the stairs toward the sound of the same music Ben was playing earlier, but was this time much more quiet.  She walked over to his door and lifted a soft fist, hesitating for a few seconds before knocking.

        There was no answer.  She waited a few more seconds before knocking again.  More silence.  She waited once more and raised her hand a third time, but the door began to open before she could knock again.

        “What.” Ben demanded from a small enough crack in the door that Rey could see only his face and a sliver of his body.

        “I didn’t really get a chance to say ‘hi’ earlier.” What she really wanted to say was ‘Are you okay?’ but she feared that would be too confrontational.  “So… hi!”

        “Hi.” He replied curtly, immediately moving to close the door.  Rey’s childhood karate lessons, however, paid off, and she caught the door just in time.

        “Wait! I uh… I really missed you.” The emotion in her voice was genuine, and it made Ben pause.

        “Okay.” he hoped his response did not give away any feelings he may or may not have been feeling.

        “I mean it.  I’m looking forward to get to know you again.” She smiled, but he did not respond.  “Well, I’ll leave you alone now.  Goodnight, Ben.” She turned and walked to her own bedroom, turning to look back at her cousin before she entered.  She was surprised to find him still looking through the doorway.

        “Goodnight, Rey.” He closed the door, and Rey looked at it for a moment before smiling to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [this is the shirt bens wearing btw huehuehue](https://shop.nickcave.com/collections/clothing/products/mark-ryden-design-bad-seed-t-shirt)


End file.
